Jets 3 Biggest Question Marks Entering 2026-27

By opting out of the second year of his SHL contract with Djurgardens to come to Winnipeg, Bjorck has made it clear he’s not scared of taking on a new challenge. He was considered one of the more NHL-ready players in the draft due to playing all of last season in the SHL.

The Jets haven’t had a draft pick immediately jump into their NHL lineup since Patrik Laine in 2016, and while Bjorck could be the next one, it’s unfair to expect him to be a star immediately. He will make mistakes, struggle at times, and might even require some time with the Manitoba Moose to adapt to the North American game.

That being said, having Bjorck become a viable NHLer while still on his entry-level contract (ELC) will be crucial considering the spiking salary cap that the Jets may not be able to keep up with over the next couple of seasons and their need for more players who can make sizeable impacts on the cheap. As such, the entry-level slide rule will also play a factor in organizational decision making: If he plays fewer than 10 NHL games this season, his ELC will slide a year and keep him ultra affordable through 2029-30.

3: What Will Happen With Connor Hellebuyck?

It’s a matter of if, not when, Connor Hellebuyck is traded.

A few weeks back, the goaltender went public through his agent that he’s requested a trade, ending months of speculation of if he had.

The questions now become where he’s traded to, when, and what the Jets will get back for him.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff’s ask for Hellebuyck is clearly very high, and justifiably so, considering Hellebuyck has three Vezina Trophies, two William M. Jennings Trophies, and a Hart Trophy to his name. We know Cheveldayoff fielded offers from the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes — and likely others — but hasn’t felt strongly enough about any offer to accept it.

With five years left on the contract he signed in 2023 to be, in his words, a “Jet for life,” Hellebuyck has very little leverage to actually get out of Winnipeg. Any trade will be on the organization’s timeline, not his, and will only happen when Cheveldayoff gets an offer he thinks represents fair value for the best goalie of the last decade.

That being said, a quick resolution to this saga is probably best for the Jets in order to remove a distraction and possible threat to the strong locker-room culture they’ve rebuilt. If he’s not traded by training camp and refuses to report, the plot will get even thicker than it already is.

The list of suitors will likely be long, and the trade return could play a role in dictating the Jets’ competitiveness level this season depending on if the main pieces are draft picks and prospects or NHL-calibre players.